derryX Dogfish Head Review: Punkin Ale

Early in 2010, at the recommendation of John Jordan, I tried a Dogfish Head 60 Minute India Pale Ale. This came with much reluctance because I have never been a fan of IPA style beer or any beer with a decent bitterness; as a matter of fact, in the past, I got into homebrewing and decreased the intensity of the hops used in almost every recipe that I made.

There was something special about this 60 minute IPA. I couldn’t put my finger on it at the time, but, while out with my friends, I kept ordering Dogfish beers whenever I would see them on the menu. After trying a few different styles of beer by Dogfish Head Brewery, it occurred to me that they put a decent amount of effort into toying with the intrinsic concept of “beer,” and, if you visit the Dogfish Head website, you’ll come across their motto: “Off centered stuff for off centered people.”

As a result of my curiosity, I decided to do the “derryX Dogfish Head Reviews,” and, in doing so, spending a decent amount of money to seek out a number of different style Dogfish beers.

Aside from the descriptions contained herein (all of which were copied from www.dogfish.com), all comments are the opinion of derryX.

A full-bodied brown ale with smooth hints of pumpkin and brown sugar. We brew our Punkin Ale with pumpkin meat, organic brown sugar and spices [from label: allspice, cinnamon, nutmeg]. This is the perfect beer to warm-up with, as the season cools.

BONUS: While dining at The Judge’s Inn, I had the privilege of trying Punkin Ale on tap. I felt a little crazy ordering it after dropping almost $60 (after deposits) on an entire case, but I’m kind of glad that I did. Directly comparing the bottled vs tap, I feel that the bottled has a deeper pumpkin and spice flavor. I personally prefer the bottled beer (poured into a glass, of course) in this case.